EXE editing & programming issues

[MrFlibble]

Cool, I didn't imagine the original game could be pushed to such limits :D Awesome work!!! ^_^

[Nyerguds]

That's pretty awesome. The changes are one thing, but I'm truly amazed that you managed to squeeze that new code in there.

I don't really like those herald logos though... they look so flat.

[MrFlibble]

I don't really like those herald logos though... they look so flat.

Well I never pretended to be a professional artist :P

[Sadistic Sandtrout]

Greetings everyone :))))) it's so nice to see that so many people still play Dune 2, regardless of GTA 5, "Kell a Dutyi" and other supermodern hyper-advanced bullshit, which gives mere 3 hours of gameplay, scripted up to the eyeballz, and generally the same old "kill enemy soldierz" shit. I just completed Dune 2 with all three factions for the umpteenth time, and even if the computer is less sophiscated than nowadays, it's still great fun and a challenge. As for editing Dune 2,I would like to add my ideas,which would greatly improve the campaign.

 

- There should be 10 scenarios, not just 9. This could be achieved by removing 1 selectable region from when 3 is available. I think at the start of the game, territories are quickly consumed. At level 2, for example, two selectable scenarios would be far enough rather than 3, so 1 territory could be reserved for a more advanced technological level.

 

- Winning/losing conditions should be modified a bit. For example, on a standard "destroy the enemy" mission you should ONLY lose if you have no structures AND units left, and only win, if you've entirely cleaned the enemy out of the map. And for example, there could be missions, where you would need to protect a building (like the Starport in Dune200 Ordos missions), and if that one is destroyed, you lose, no matter what structures and forces you have left. In other words, it would be very nice to create more complex missions.

 

- Winning/losing conditions would be great to units as well. For example, on a scenario, your task would be to destroy certain Harvesters, or perhaps Sand worms, or Fremen.

 

- Trooper minirockets should be stronger than the close-range rotary cannons.

 

- Saboteurs should be fixed. They seem to explode for no reason at all, even when grouping them with friendly units. The "Sabotage" order should have a marker, like Attack, Move and pretty much other orders.

[Nyerguds]

On 1/10/2014 at 11:18 PM, Sadistic Sandtrout said:

- There should be 10 scenarios, not just 9. This could be achieved by removing 1 selectable region from when 3 is available. I think at the start of the game, territories are quickly consumed. At level 2, for example, two selectable scenarios would be far enough rather than 3, so 1 territory could be reserved for a more advanced technological level.

This would mess up all existing build level configurations, though.

 

On 1/10/2014 at 11:18 PM, Sadistic Sandtrout said:

- Winning/losing conditions should be modified a bit. For example, on a standard "destroy the enemy" mission you should ONLY lose if you have no structures AND units left, and only win, if you've entirely cleaned the enemy out of the map. And for example, there could be missions, where you would need to protect a building (like the Starport in Dune200 Ordos missions), and if that one is destroyed, you lose, no matter what structures and forces you have left. In other words, it would be very nice to create more complex missions.

Nyerguds said:

Rule #1 Of Playing Old Games:

DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT FEATURES THAT WERE ADDED IN ITS SUCCESSORS.

All of that would need a serious overhaul of the internal logics. Leave it. The game's cool the way it is.

 

On 1/10/2014 at 11:18 PM, Sadistic Sandtrout said:

- Winning/losing conditions would be great to units as well. For example, on a scenario, your task would be to destroy certain Harvesters, or perhaps Sand worms, or Fremen.

Same as before. Rule #1. Unlike C&C, Dune II has very simple win/lose conditions, and no triggers system. Specific units as win conditions is completely impossible. Hacking to upgrade the game can change logics, but adding entirely new ones, especially in a way that still keeps the game compatible with existing scenarios, is pretty much impossible, if only because there's little space in the exe file to add the new code.

 

On 1/10/2014 at 11:18 PM, Sadistic Sandtrout said:

- Trooper minirockets should be stronger than the close-range rotary cannons.

I got a better one... "Trooper minirockets should be more powerful than their pew pew gun attack"

 

On 1/10/2014 at 11:18 PM, Sadistic Sandtrout said:

- Saboteurs should be fixed. They seem to explode for no reason at all, even when grouping them with friendly units. The "Sabotage" order should have a marker, like Attack, Move and pretty much other orders.

Dune Dynasty fixed that, IIRC. Not sure if the fix was ever recreated as hack for Dune II though. The bug strangely has something to do with the unit's movement speed, and, much like the sonic tank bug, is affected by the game speed.

As for giving it a targeting cursor, that can easily be done with my Dune II editor.

Edited November 21, 2022 by Nyerguds

[MrFlibble]

- There should be 10 scenarios, not just 9. This could be achieved by removing 1 selectable region from when 3 is available. I think at the start of the game, territories are quickly consumed. At level 2, for example, two selectable scenarios would be far enough rather than 3, so 1 territory could be reserved for a more advanced technological level.

This would mess up all existing build level configurations, though.

drnovice found a way to alter the code so that the mission limit can be changed. The basic idea is that you modify the check when the final cinematic/closing credits should be played (I did a similar edit on my own as a part of testing process a while ago, but it didn't seem useful enough to me so I didn't explore further).

As for the tech levels, there are none higher than 9, but with Nyer's editor it is possible to change which mission unlocks the next tech level.

- Saboteurs should be fixed. They seem to explode for no reason at all, even when grouping them with friendly units. The "Sabotage" order should have a marker, like Attack, Move and pretty much other orders.

Dune Dynasty fixed that, IIRC. Not sure if the fix was ever recreated as hack for Dune II though.

Already done, again thanks to efforts by drnovice.

[drnovice]

Greetings everyone :))))) it's so nice to see that so many people still play Dune 2, regardless of GTA 5, "Kell a Dutyi" and other supermodern hyper-advanced bullshit, which gives mere 3 hours of gameplay, scripted up to the eyeballz, and generally the same old "kill enemy soldierz" shit. I just completed Dune 2 with all three factions for the umpteenth time, and even if the computer is less sophiscated than nowadays, it's still great fun and a challenge. As for editing Dune 2,I would like to add my ideas,which would greatly improve the campaign.

Sure, you're welcome! But remember that to change opcodes bytes into EXE file it isn't so simple as expand the game by c++ source code of OpenDune. The issue often is that you haven't enough room/space to make the changes, because of you can't enlarge the EXE (bytes number) without to alter the structure of memory spaces.

 

- There should be 10 scenarios, not just 9. This could be achieved by removing 1 selectable region from when 3 is available. I think at the start of the game, territories are quickly consumed. At level 2, for example, two selectable scenarios would be far enough rather than 3, so 1 territory could be reserved for a more advanced technological level.

I'm working on a mod that it will have 14 Scenarios and the possibility to swap on other factions (Fremen for Atreides campaign, Mercenary for Ordos, Sardaukar for Harkonnen) and a plot more complex for gameplay background.

Thanks to Nyerguds Editor it's possible to change level tech of structures in order to create something before or after respect original game.

 

- Winning/losing conditions should be modified a bit. For example, on a standard "destroy the enemy" mission you should ONLY lose if you have no structures AND units left, and only win, if you've entirely cleaned the enemy out of the map. And for example, there could be missions, where you would need to protect a building (like the Starport in Dune200 Ordos missions), and if that one is destroyed, you lose, no matter what structures and forces you have left. In other words, it would be very nice to create more complex missions.

 

- Winning/losing conditions would be great to units as well. For example, on a scenario, your task would be to destroy certain Harvesters, or perhaps Sand worms, or Fremen.

I restored Timeout condition flag to Win/Lose games. Original Dune 2 checks only on structures count or spice quota, but I guess that you can't count certain structures or units to flags conditions.

 

- Trooper minirockets should be stronger than the close-range rotary cannons.

De gustibus...

 

- Saboteurs should be fixed. They seem to explode for no reason at all, even when grouping them with friendly units. The "Sabotage" order should have a marker, like Attack, Move and pretty much other orders.

http://forum.dune2k.com/topic/18875-exe-editing-programming-issues/page-25#entry380265

Like this is more playable? ;)

[drnovice]

P.S. Now I'm trying to work on production menu selection box colours for all six factions.

[MrFlibble]

P.S. Now I'm trying to work on production menu selection box colours for all six factions.

Great! I never figured out how that worked, but I'm sure you will :) Good luck!

[segra]

This thread still lives!!

Hey Guys :)

[drnovice]

All because of you! :P

[segra]

haha,

 

nah, alot of good peeps have done some very hard work on this game over the years :)

[drnovice]

The study of the opcode was fun and challenging.

Now we need for scenarios and different plots to change the story-game.

[MrFlibble]

HI there segra, long time no see! ^_^ How's things?

[segra]

Hey MrFlibble,

 

Yeah its been awhile :)  Pretty good, yourself?